1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for displaying and changing advertising or marketing graphics at points of sale, such as vending machines, and particularly for displaying and changing advertising or marketing graphics on vending machine fronts such as beverage vending machine fronts.
2. Description of the Related Art
Product providers employing vending machines (hereinafter, "vendors") as a sales outlet experience increasing costs as a result of the need to change graphic images on the vendors to coincide with the introduction of new products, new logos, new advertising slogans, and package designs for existing products. For example, vendors, such as soft drink vendors, yield reliable service for seven to ten years. The front panel on those vendors is frequently used as a display board for presenting the product in some fashion and for communicating advertising or promotional messages (collectively, "product graphics") to promote sales of products. For example, marketing research shows that, for reasons involving appetite appeal and impulse purchasing, a soft drink product sells best from a vendor if a can of the product on ice is displayed in graphic form on the machine.
The limited versatility of fixed-graphic machines becomes apparent when a new brand of soft drink or a new can design is to be displayed on the vendor front. The front is typically a durable tough plastic that extends most of the height and width of the machine. The product graphics are typically screen-painted ("screened" or "silk-screened") onto a surface of the panel, such as the back surface if the plastic is otherwise clear. Replacing the product graphics may cost $75 to $150, including labor and other removal costs, as well as labor and other installation costs for the new product graphics. When adhesive attachment of sign face material is also used, labor and other costs are increased because of the problems of adhesive removal over any practical-size display area. If the plastic panel itself requires replacement, the cost is still greater.
Additionally, a limited number of products (usually 1 or 2) can be advantageously displayed (visible at a distance) at one time, even though the number of products in the vendor can be much greater. Many sales may be lost as consumers are disappointed by assuming the vendor does not contain a new product or another product not displayed.
It would be desirable to solve one or more of these problems.